Hi,
I have just got myself 8320 curve with Orange. I was told that on Wireless network I will be able to make free calls. My wifi connection works fine (it is black and white on the screen with UMA next to it and green tick next to it in wifi connections), but all the calls are being made on "orange" so I am paying for it. Orange will not help as they say that they only deal with orange broadband and nothing else.

Has anyone else has similar problem?
does anyone know how to use the wifi feature to make calls?

This is because the orange customer service person you were talking to hasn't got the slightest idea what he or she is talking about.

There seems to be a common misconception that just because you connect to the network over wifi you get free calls. You don't. The only difference between connecting over wifi and connecting over orange's GSM network is exactly that - they're just two different ways of connecting to the same thing: Orange's network. The person who told you that you get free calls was "misinformed".

When you're connected over wifi you are still connected to orange's phone switch, just a different way.

Orange may choose to give discounts to people connecting this way, but they don't. Using wifi has some benefits for you and for orange:

Using UMA will give you good reception if your location has a poor mobile signal

Using UMA benefits orange, because you're not using their GSM capacity - you're providing the link to their switching centre yourself (with your broadband, at your expense) and anything that reduces their network usage whilst still generating revenue is a good thing (note that you are still using their switching centre and their facilities - it's just the link TO the switching centre that you're providing)

Using UMA means that you can receive data while you're on the phone

Using UMA means faster data reception (see how much faster it is to email a photo!)

Orange Mobile don't "support" anything to do with your broadband connection. It doesn't matter whether you connect with Orange broadband or any other broadband - it's got NOTHING to do with them. Unfortunately they don't understand what's happening.

When you say "Orange will not help" - what exactly did you want help with?

You are already using the wifi feature to make calls - so you don't actually have a problem. If you mean "how do you get free calls?" - you don't!

I myself had a problem with calls being cut off within a minute or two when using my Jawbone bluetooth earpiece. As far as I could gather this was due to a software fault on the blackberry. I called orange and they were hopeless - I got answers like "we don't support wifi" or "talk to blackberry" or "we don't have UMA" or even "you need to talk to your broadband provider".

Thanks hegedusa , its annoying that Orange sales people are selling something with the promise that they cant keep ! I bought the blackberry package because because I was told ( I didnt believe it 1st, so I talked to people in Orange shop and than again on their sales line) that if I am connected to wifi, all mobile calls were free, and they will not come out of my bundle ! I have telephoned their sales line again and they are still telling the customers same thing.
Its amazing that over several days, Orange could not explain to me what you have explained.

Ok! I get that! But one thing is not clear to me: If I am using my own home broadband wifi router and connected to my blackberry via UMA will I still get my data traffic offset from my monthly allowance?

Wallacejack, if you are with Orange, you will never find out the answer untill you get your bill, I made several mobile calls on my wifi connection, thinking they were free, but when the bill came, they werent!
If you speak to Orange customer services, everyone will tell you a different story!

Ok! I get that! But one thing is not clear to me: If I am using my own home broadband wifi router and connected to my blackberry via UMA will I still get my data traffic offset from my monthly allowance?

Thanks!

The data doesn't need to go through their switching centre - it goes direct between the server you're accessing (e.g. a website) and your phone. So essentially it will not come off your data allowance.

The data doesn't need to go through their switching centre - it goes direct between the server you're accessing (e.g. a website) and your phone. So essentially it will not come off your data allowance.

Thanks! I do hope so! If someone has already massively used data via UMA (say, at home), please post if you have been charged!